


Why

by ouranose



Series: Trope Challenge [13]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: AUTHOR AU, Awkward Tension, Bookstore AU, Fluff, Lance wears glasses, M/M, Respectable Flirting, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Totally Realistic Flirting, author! keith, bookshop au, bookshop employee! lance, but its only one scene, meet cute, you hate my work but im gonna convince you to like it au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-25
Updated: 2019-11-25
Packaged: 2021-02-26 01:28:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,645
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21555517
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ouranose/pseuds/ouranose
Summary: Trope #13 of 30, per the list seen on Twitter in a series of tweets by @ selpukuPrompt:  ‘I’m a popular book writer but I’m using an alias so no one knows my real identity’ usually followed by a)’I see you hate my book and I’m gonna change your opinion because it’s WRONG’ or b)’I got a new editor who’s a big fan of my work but they don’t know my alias at first’Keith is a famous author who doesn't reveal his true identity to the public. When he meets a bookstore employee (Lance) who doesn't like what he does, he finds himself desperate to understand why, and to change his mind.
Relationships: Keith/Lance (Voltron)
Series: Trope Challenge [13]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1534436
Comments: 5
Kudos: 120





	Why

It was autumn, the leaves outside turning to vibrant reds and yellows in stark contrast to the bright greens of summer. Keith Kogane had a scarf wrapped around his neck, the top of it covering most of his chin and leaving him feeling warm all over. Autumn was his favorite time of year, it was almost as if the world was letting out a deep breath and getting ready for the sleepy months of winter. 

It was also when most of his books were set for release. He preferred it this way - it started with his first horror; what better time to release it to potential readers than around Halloween? He’d been given plenty of advice on the matter, of course. Releasing at this time was always risky - especially considering the amount of competition he was facing for the same genre. But he’d made an impact with his debut, he’d created a name for himself. 

With a smile, he remembered one of the first responses he’d received. It was from Takashi Shirogane, a man he’d looked up to and who had mentored him when he was still in high school. He knew this was a privilege not many other writers were able to claim - having an _in_ with someone already in the industry… _‘Haunting, beautiful, an impressive story from an author with budding potential.’_ It was enough to draw attention, and when people read it, most found that they agreed with him. 

His boots clonked against the sidewalk, where he maneuvered through the throngs of people towards the large flag waving in the chilly breeze. It flaunted his name - well, his pen name. Eugene Ito. Another part of him. A different version of him. There was a monochromatic design behind his name, and the name of his new book, _A Black Rose_. 

The bell on the door let out a cheerful _ting_ as he entered. It was always dangerous doing this, coming to his own events. It was dangerous because he didn’t want to be known. It was dangerous because he did. There was an uncanny self-satisfaction to doing this, to talking to fans and learning about their opinions, to being so close without them realizing it. He let his eyes travel around the large room. At the far end, there was a display set up with a neat layout of his new book, and a healthy selection of his older works. 

His eyes landed on a man with a nametag. His eyes were downcast as he reorganized the books at the table, lashes casting thick shadows across his cheeks. People were milling around, weaving through the aisles or browsing the tables in the front. There was another employee who was helping a customer, her voice soft and accented. Keith made his way towards the man.

As it turned out, the man was deeply engrossed in what he was doing, seemingly entranced in his work. He handled the books as if they were precious to him, as if they were his favorite things in the world. It was endearing, and Keith wondered if the man was a fan. He squinted his eyes a bit, attempting to see the name printed neatly on the tag. It wasn’t until the man moved a bit that he could make out the name. _Lance_. 

“Yes?” The man said, raising an inquisitive brow, “Sorry, can I help you with something sir?” 

“Uh,” Keith said eloquently, “Actually yeah. Would you recommend any of these?” 

Maybe it was a little conceited of him to fish for compliments like this. 

The man made a face, narrowing his eyes and frowning. It surprised Keith so much that he cocked his head to the side. “I’m not personally a fan of this author, so no.” It was a fair statement, but it stung to hear it nonetheless. “However,” Lance said, after a moment of thought, “This book just came out, and I heard that he’s just gotten better and better with plots.” 

“You’ve heard?” Keith said, picking out that one phrase and clinging to it, “Have you read any of his books?” 

“Yes. Not impressed.” Lance said blandly, picking up one of the books, “Do you want one of these or not?” It was clear that he was done with the conversation, but Keith couldn’t help but keep pushing. He wanted to understand why this guy seemed to dislike him so much. 

He grabbed the book from Lance’s hands but didn’t move away, “What book did you read? What about it didn’t you like?” 

Lance blinked at him, his frown melting into pursed lips, “I need to get back to work, sir, so if you’d excuse me.” He walked away then, turning one more time to frown at Keith before hanging a left towards a door hidden behind one of the shelves along the back wall. It wasn’t the reaction he’d been expecting, that much was clear. There was something that made him want to talk to Lance about it again, something that he couldn’t explain. He didn’t know _why_ it mattered so much that a stranger liked his books and wanted to recommend them to others. 

But it did.

He put the book he’d had in his hand back on the table and left the store. 

* * *

The next day was warmer, warm enough that Keith was comfortable leaving the house in just a sweater and jeans. He’d gone back to the bookstore, inexplicably. He was currently standing in the Fantasy aisle, staring blankly at the titles there. He came back to buy a book since he’d failed to do so the day before...

Is what he told himself.

In reality, he wasn’t sure why he came back. He knew he could always just order one online, it would save him the anxiety from being in public. But here he was. Frowning, he looked around himself. There were plenty of people buzzing about again, it seemed as if business was booming. 

“Oh. It’s you again.” The familiar voice startled Keith. He flinched, turning his head to take in the face of Lance. Keith noticed he was wearing a pair of wire-rimmed glasses today, and he wondered whether they were prescription or fashion, but figured it wasn’t important enough to ask. 

“It’s me,” he said. 

Lance gave him a look, but walked around, a heavy box in his hands. He stopped at a shelf a few feet away and started to unpack the box onto the shelves. He noticed, almost against his will, that Lance handled these books just as carefully as he handled his. Maybe he just appreciated books. 

Turning away, Keith instead tried to focus on the titles. He was in the fantasy section. To his left was a healthy selection of Martins, some Pratchetts, a few Gaiman’s, the original duology from Black, and of course, plenty of Shirogane’s. To his right, a collection of tabletop RPG gamebooks and starter packs. It was a pretty simple setup, but it worked. He plucked a Pratchett from the shelf and flipped it so he could read the back. 

His eyes settled on the words, but they couldn’t seem to focus on any of the letters. Instead, Keith found them wandering towards the man a few feet away, the man who had stopped shelving books long enough to read the back of one. His eyes moved manically behind his glasses, the speed at which he took words in almost impressive. His eyes stilled after a moment, and as he went to put the book away, they fell on Keith. 

Keith felt his cheeks heat up, and he quickly looked back down at the book in his hand. The cover was green, with a tan dragon spitting blue fire from its mouth. Truth be told, Keith already owned this book, and he’d read it a few times. But it was still the first to draw his attention.

Lance continued to look at him, and Keith continued to pretend he didn’t notice. Keith slid the book carefully back into its place. “You know,” Lance said, his voice cutting through the quiet again, “if you’re gonna stare at me like that, at least tell me your name.” His voice was almost hesitant, but Keith turned his face back towards him. 

“Keith.” It sounded like a made-up word in his ears.

“Nice to meet you, Keith, you may continue staring,” Lance said, turning back to the shelf. Keith decided then that he needed to walk away before he brought Eugene Ito up again. But his brain always did work faster than his mouth. 

“Can I ask you something?” 

“You just did.” 

“No - something else,” Keith couldn’t help but frown, “Why don’t you like Eugene Ito?” 

Lance stopped, his head turning slowly towards Keith again, “Why does it seem to bother you so much?” 

“I don’t know,” Keith said honestly, “I just want to understand.” Maybe it was hubris, maybe he couldn’t see why anyone would dislike what he did… But he knew better than that. The way Lance seemed to dislike him was the way that you would dislike someone because another person told you to. There didn’t seem to be a basis for it, and that was what bothered Keith. Judgment before he was even given a chance. 

Lance rolled his eyes, letting out a sardonic snort of laughter. “Dude, you know that other authors exist, right? You were looking at Guards, Guards for at least six minutes - I hope you realized that wasn’t an Ito piece.” Keith opened his mouth to respond, but Lance cut him off, “His storylines are just - I don’t know. I feel like they’re directionless until the falling action normally, and it’s just really hard for me to enjoy books like that. He also seems to fall into the category of writers that insist on having a romantic subplot.” Lance stood up, stretching his arms over his head.

“He only wrote one book that had a romance in it though,” Keith argued, confused. 

Lance blushed, the red of his skin stretching towards his ears, “The main character in Grimly Chosen did not need to have a relationship with her best friend, it was a pointless addition to the story and its purpose seemed to be only to humanize her as a hero, when in fact she didn’t need that. The relationship he built between her and the antagonist was beautiful, and if Ito understood anything about romance, he would’ve written it differently.” 

Swooping down, he grabbed the empty box in one hand. He started to disassemble it carefully. When he was done, he pocketed his knife, and let the box fall to his side, all the while waiting for a response from Keith.

Keith hadn’t been expecting the reaction that he’d received, but in the blink of an eye, Lance was smiling and rolling his eyes again. “I’m sure Eugene Ito thinks about that mistake a lot, and that he’s chosen not to write romance in any of his other novels.” He didn’t owe anyone an explanation, really, and he knew that. But he felt the need to explain himself anyways. 

“It’s not that deep, ya know? His style just isn’t my thing. If you’re still looking for a recommendation I have a few, by the way.” He added the last part with a wide grin, and Keith thought that must’ve been the most genuine smile he’d ever seen. 

“Yeah, okay,” Keith said.

Lance indicated the shelves beside him, “Have you read any of these?” 

Keith nodded, pointing out all of the books that he already owned. He was curious what Lance was going to suggest, but also enjoying his company enough to not want to leave immediately. “I’ve read a lot of Pratchett and Gaiman - I’ve been looking for something different though.”

“Different how?” 

“Mythology?” 

Lance thought for a moment, letting his chin fall into his palm as he did so. Keith thought it was a rather cute habit to have, but he didn’t say so out loud. Better to keep some thoughts to himself. “Have you read any Miller?”

“Miller?” 

“Madeline Miller - has a very lyrical way of writing. Very pretty style.” 

“Okay, what book of hers would you suggest?” 

“I mean, there are only two of her books in stock, so you should choose whichever speaks to you more. They’re over this way,” and he started leading Keith toward the next aisle. Keith followed and looked at the two books Lance was indicating. 

In the end, he bought both of them.

* * *

Keith’s visit the next day was purely coincidental. He’d been walking downtown, on his way to his car from the coffee shop he normally wrote at. His laptop was tucked into his bag, and his hot chocolate was doing an effective job of keeping his gloveless hands warm. It was another cool day, which disappointed Keith immensely, but at least allowed him to wear another scarf. 

Lance was walking towards him, his eyes looking down at the phone in his hand. He was wearing a thick coat with fur lining the hood. He was wearing a pair of dark jeans and paying no mind to the world around him. Keith panicked. 

After leaving yesterday, he’d considered how he might’ve come off as extremely creepy. No one had any business visiting a bookstore more than two days in a row - and that was even pushing it. If Lance saw him again would he be angry? It wasn’t as if it were on purpose. He looked down then, focusing on the drink in his hand and the steam rising out of the little hole on the lid. 

“Keith?” Lance sounded surprised, and Keith feigned surprise as well. Looking up, he felt his chest thump with relief at the sight of Lance grinning again. “What, do you live in the store now, or what?” 

Indignant, Keith said, “ _No_ , I was getting a drink and doing some work.” He indicated the drink in his hand as well as the bag hanging on his shoulder. “Do _you_ live at the store?” 

Lance rolled his eyes, but his smile took on an almost teasing nature. “‘Course not. If you’re not here for the books, then are you here for me?” 

Keith flushed, his whole body going warm, “What are you talking about?”

“Hey, while you’re here, I’ve got a question.”

“Okay,” Keith said, unsure of what the question could be. 

“Do you wanna go out sometime?” 

This was unexpected, his flush somehow deepened. Lance’s face also seemed a bit flushed. “Out? Like - as friends?”

“Yeah,” Lance said, looking up at the sky, “ya know, or on a date.”

“Oh,” Keith said, his eyes wide, “I’m Eugene Ito.” 

Lance looked down at his face, narrowing his eyes in confusion, “You said your name is Keith.”

“It is, but I use Eugene Ito as a pseudonym.”

Lance was quiet for a moment, and then he said, “Are you really, or is this just your way of saying you don’t want to - cause you can say no. That’s okay.” 

Keith rolled his eyes, “Who wouldn’t want to go on a date with you?” When he realized what he’d said, he bit his cheek and looked down. He couldn’t believe he’d said something so cheesy out loud. Lance, on the other hand, let out a laugh, as if it was the funniest thing he’d ever heard. 

“Alright, then. Can I have your number, Eugene Ito?”

“Just call me Keith…” Keith was embarrassed enough as it was. 

“Alright,” And he could hear the smile in Lance’s voice. 

They said their goodbyes and walked away from each other. Keith couldn’t hide the smile on his face, nor could he pretend he wasn’t still shaking from revealing his identity. There was a reason he didn’t want people to know who he truly was. _But_ , he thought, _maybe this was a good exception to make_.

**Author's Note:**

> [tumblr](http://ouranose.tumblr.com) | [twitter](http://twitter.com/_allidavis)


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